This invention relates to an improved reflective silver halide photographic element for silver halide imaging systems. More specifically, it relates to such a reflective element comprising at least four separately sensitized light-sensitive silver halide emulsion layers containing, in addition to the three conventional cyan, magenta, and yellow dye-forming layers, a fourth image dye-forming layer comprising a coupler wherein the dye formed by that coupler has a CIELAB hab hue angle in the range of from not less than 355xc2x0 to not more than 75xc2x0, and/or a fifth image dye-forming layer comprising a coupler wherein the dye formed by that coupler has a hue angle in the range of from not less than 225xc2x0 to not more than 310xc2x0, which increases the gamut of colors possible.
Color gamut is an important feature of color printing and imaging systems. It is a measure of the range of colors that can be produced using a given combination of colorants. It is desirable for the color gamut to be as large as possible. The color gamut of the imaging system is controlled primarily by the absorption characteristics of the set of colorants used to produce the image. Silver halide imaging systems typically employ three colorants, typically including cyan, magenta, and yellow in the conventional subtractive imaging system.
The ability to produce an image containing any particular color is limited by the color gamut of the system and materials used to produce the image. Thus, the range of colors available for image reproduction is limited by the color gamut that the system and materials can produce.
Color gamut is often thought to be maximized by the use of so-called xe2x80x9cblock dyesxe2x80x9d. In The Reproduction of Colour 4th ed., R. W. G. Hunt, pp 135-144, it has been suggested that the optimum gamut could be obtained with a subtractive three-color system using three theoretical block dyes where the blocks are separated at approximately 490 nm and 580 nm. This proposal is interesting but cannot be implemented for various reasons. In particular, there are no real organic based couplers which produce dyes corresponding to the proposed block dyes.
Variations in the block dye concept are advanced by Clarkson, M. E. and Vickerstaff, T. in xe2x80x9cBrightness and Hue of Present-Day Dyes in Relation to Colour Photography,xe2x80x9d Photo. J. 88b, 26 (1948). Three example spectral shapes are given by Clarkson and Vickerstaff: Block, Trapezoidal, and Triangular. The authors conclude, contrary to the teachings of Hunt, that trapezoidal absorption spectra may be preferred to a vertical sided block dye. Again, dyes having these trapezoidal spectra shapes are theoretical and are not available in practice.
Both commercially available dyes and theoretical dyes were investigated in xe2x80x9cThe Color Gamut Obtainable by the Combination of Subtractive Color Dyes. Optimum Absorption Bands as Defined by Nonlinear Optimization Technique,xe2x80x9d J. Imaging Science, 30, 9-12. The author, N. Ohta, deals with the subject of real colorants and notes that the existing curve for a typical cyan dye, as shown in the publication, is the optimum absorption curve for cyan dyes from a gamut standpoint.
Bourdelais et al in U.S. Pat. No. 6,030,756 discusses imaging layers containing silver halide and dye forming couplers applied to both sides of a translucent base for a display material. While the display material in U.S. Pat. No. 6,030,756 provides an excellent image that can be displayed without the need for a backlight source, the image is only capable of reproducing 56% of Pantone color space.
McInerney et al in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,679,139; 5,679,140; 5,679,141; and 5,679,142 teach the shape of preferred subtractive dye absorption shapes for use in four color, C,M,Y,K based ink-jet prints.
McInerney et al in EP 0 825 488 teaches the shape of preferred subtractive cyan dye absorption shape for use in silver halide based color prints.
Kitchin et al in U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,745 teaches the preparation of a photographic element for preparing half-tone color proofs comprising four separate imaging layers capable of producing cyan, magenta, yellow, and black images.
Powers et al in U.S. Pat. No. 4,816,378, teaches an imaging process for the preparation of color half-tone images that contain cyan, magenta, yellow, and black images. The use of the black dye does little to improve the gamut of color reproduction.
Haraga et al in EP 0 915 374 A1 teaches a method for improving image clarity by mixing xe2x80x98invisiblexe2x80x99 information in the original scene with a color print and reproducing it as an infrared dye, magenta dye, or as a mixture of cyan magenta and yellow dyes to achieve improved color tone and realism. The addition of the resulting infrared, magenta, or black dye does little to improve the gamut.
In spite of the foregoing teachings relative to color gamut, the coupler sets which have been employed in silver halide color imaging have not provided the range of gamut desired for modem digital imaging; especially for so-called xe2x80x98spot colorsxe2x80x99, or xe2x80x98HiFi colorsxe2x80x99.
It is, therefore, a problem to be solved by providing a coupler set which provides an increase in color gamut compared to coupler sets comprised of cyan, magenta, and yellow dye forming couplers by further incorporating red dye and blue dye forming couplers.
It has been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,866,282 (Bourdelais et al) to utilize a composite support material with laminated biaxially oriented polyolefin sheets as a photographic imaging material. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,866,282, biaxially oriented polyolefin sheets are extrusion laminated to cellulose paper to create a support for silver halide imaging layers. The biaxially oriented sheets described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,866,282 have a microvoided layer in combination with coextruded layers that contain white pigments such as TiO2 above and below the microvoided layer. In the composite imaging support structure described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,866,282 the cyan, magenta, and yellow silver halide imaging layers are applied to one side of the white, reflecting side of the base.
It has been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,355,099 to apply photosensitive layers on one side of a thin transparent support, expose through the thin transparent support and post image process adhere the imaging layers to a white reflective support to create a reflective image. While the imaging layers are protected, they are only applied to one side of the thin transparent support. Further, because no antihalation layer is utilized with the light sensitive silver halide imaging layers, problems such as unwanted scattering and printing platen reflection would reduce the quality of the image.
There is a need for a reflective imaging material that provides an expanded color gamut while maintaining processing efficiency.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved imaging layers.
It is another object to provide imaging material that has an expanded color gamut.
It is a further object to maintain processing efficiency.
It is another object to provide a reflective image.
These and other objects of the invention are accomplished by a method of forming an image comprising providing an imaging element comprising a transparent polymer sheet, and at least one photo sensitive dye forming coupler containing layer is on each side of said sheet, wherein there are at least four separate photo sensitive layers and the photo sensitive layers comprise at least four dye forming couplers that form at least four spectrally distinct colors, image wise exposing said imaging element by actinic radiation, developing an image, and applying a white reflective sheet to one side of the developed imaging element.
The invention provides a reflective imaging material with an improved color gamut while maintaining typical the 45 second color development cycle time.